Majority Of Suicide Attempters Research Articles

Suicide Attempts and Influencing Factors

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the applications to the Emergency Departments in …. province between 2019 and 2023 due to suicide attempts and to provide guidance for social preventive programmes. Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the approval of the …. University Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee, dated 21 September 2023 and numbered 176-176-09. The study examined The archive of the …. Provincial Health Directorate was consulted to obtain records of cases of suicide attempts among individuals aged 13 years and over between the years 2019-2023. These records were examined between 1 November-31 December 2023. Results: A total of 947 patients participated in the study, 635 of whom were women. The majority of suicide attempts (43.2%) occurred between the ages of 13 and 24 years. The highest number of suicide attempts occurred between 18:00 and 23:59 (40.5%) and in summer (29.8%). The highest number of suicide attempts occurred in August (10.5%). The majority of those who attempted suicide were primary school graduates (47.0%) and unemployed (39.4%). The suicide attempt rate of farmers (42.9%) was significantly higher than other occupational groups (p=0.009). Family problems (31.3%) were the most common reason for suicide attempt. The most common method of suicide attempt was drug-toxic substance use (92.6%). Among the study participants, 21.1% had attempted suicide previously. Among those who attempted suicide, 24.2% had a previous psychiatric diagnosis. Medication (activated charcoal) was administered to 60.4% of the suicide attempters, while psychiatric consultation was requested for 11.5%. A total of 69.5% of the suicide attempts resulted in a single interview. Conclusion: Most of the suicide attempters were adolescent and young age group, female, illiterate, primary school graduate and unemployed. According to our study, the most common causes and methods of suicide attempts were familial problems and drug-toxic substance use. It is recommended that regulations should be implemented to ensure psychiatric consultation for all suicide attempters and that the follow-up and treatment of suicide attempters should be carried out by a team consisting of family physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.

Suicide prevention in Flemish pharmacies

Introduction: In Flanders, the Flemish Pharmacists Network (VAN), in collaboration with the Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention (VLESP), wants to explore how pharmacists and pharmacist assistants in the public pharmacy can play an active role in suicide prevention in collaboration with other health care providers.
 Background: Mental health is an important area of focus in health care. Numbers from the Care and Health Agency tell us that nearly 1,000 people die of suicide in Flanders every year. By 2030, the Flemish Health objective is to reduce deaths by suicide by 10% compared to 2020. Poisoning is a common method of suicide and medication is used in the majority of suicide attempts. There is strong scientific evidence that when commonly used methods are made less lethal or accessible, the number of suicides using that method as well as other methods decreases. Restricting access to substances for suicide is a very effective prevention method. Pharmacists occupy a crucial role in society regarding the distribution of medication and are among the most trusted professions. Thus, they are pre-eminent key figures who can play a role in suicide prevention. 
 Who is it for? The objective is to assessing and questioning actively the suicide risk of citizens in pharmacy.
 Who did you involve and engage with? In 2022 VAN launched a project among Flemish pharmacists in collaboration with VLESP and with the support of the Flemish government. 
 What did you do? In the first phase, a literature review was conducted and a large group of experts from different healthcare professions was assembled. A survey was launched and the results are being analyzed by VLESP. These will be used for the further elaboration of the training and the launch of a pilot project in early 2023. 
 Knowledge improvement within the sector is crucial to take an active role in suicide prevention. Pharmacists should be aware of existing help and support possibilities and referral options to other health care providers. Agreements with other health care providers should be made for this purpose. Pharmacists must be taught the tools to recognize and question signs of suicidal behavior so that they can then raise awareness about medication management, provide appropriate advice, make appropriate delivery and referrals.
 What results did you get? Around 50 pharmacies will start the pilot project in early 2023, which will be evaluated on a regular basis. Conclusions and recommendations will be written out by the end of 2023. 
 What is the learning for the international audience? For the international audience, it is interesting to know how pharmacies can play an active role and what elements are necessary to promote this. The conclusions and recommendations can serve as a guide for application in other countries. This project can be an important step to a more integrated approach around this topic
 What are the next steps? After the pilot project, the objective is to extend the active role within all Flemish pharmacies and then within Belgium.

Sociodemography, pattern, and response inhibition in suicide survivors: A case-control study.

Suicide is a global phenomenon. Psychiatric disorders are estimated to contribute to a large proportion of suicides; however, impulsive suicide is also common. Among the ages of 15-29 years, suicide was the second leading cause of death worldwide and has been hypothesized to have reduced response inhibition and decision-making abilities as contributing factors, which directly relate to impaired executive functioning and suicidal behavior. This study aimed to study sociodemography, method, and pattern of suicide, and response inhibition in suicide survivors. A case-control study was designed in a tertiary medical center in Madhya Pradesh using convenient sampling of suicide survivors and controls from the general population over 3 months. Data collection was semi-structured pro forma, and response inhibition was assessed using the Stroop test. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Windows version 25.0. Independent-samples Student's t-test, Chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for analyzing means of continuous data, nominal data, and ordinal data, respectively. The level of significance was at P < 0.05. A total of 126 suicide survivors and 99 controls were assessed after the end of the study period. Age (mean age for cases 25.4 ± 9.16; controls 23 ± 7.9), gender (F ~ M), and socioeconomic status were used to match cases and controls. 85.7% of suicide survivors had no history of suicide, but the majority had precipitating factors. Anomic suicide was the most common type, and poisoning was the most common method of suicide. Response inhibition between cases and control was significantly different. The majority of suicide attempts were impulsive in youth, with no gender discrimination. Response inhibition seemed to play a role in a suicide attempt.

Socio-demographic Status and Psychiatric Morbidity of Suicide Attempters in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Bangladesh

Background: Suicide is a worldwide growing but neglected problem crossing culture, geographies, religious, social and economic boundaries. Suicide is a perplexing phenomenon of taking one’s own life. As versatile human beings are, reasons behind suicide attempts are also unique. There is paucity of study on the clinical characteristics of these patients from a psychosocial and psychiatric point in Bangladesh. Objective: The study was aimed to assess the socio-demographic profile and psychiatric morbidity in attempted suicide patients. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was carried out for 4 months (May’2017-September’2017) at the Rangpur Medical College Hospital, Rangpur, Bangladesh. ). A total of 101 patients were purposively selected from the patients with suicidal attempt from different departments of the hospital (Medicine, Surgery, Head-Neck &amp; Otorhinolaryngology). Informed written consent was obtained from all patients. The interview was conducted once the patient was considered fit for a psychosocial assessment using a semi-structured questionnaire and clinical interviews. Diagnosis was made according to DSM-IV. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 24 and results were expressed as proportions and percentages. Results: The majority of suicide attempts seen are in socio-economically-deprived young persons. Majority were &lt;20 years age (41.59%), Female (53.47%), Unmarried (51.49%), Rural dwellers(72.28%), students (38.62%) and 58% attempts were impulsive. 63% without any prior suicidal thoughts, 56% resorted to poisoning, 49% attempted due to domestic quarrel, 65% suffered from a psychiatric disorder and major depressive disorder (18%) was found to be one of the commonest diagnosed disorders. Conclusion: Psychiatric disorders and their co morbidities are common in suicide attempt patients which calls for implementation of hospital guidelines for routine psychiatric and psychosocial assessments. J Rang Med Col. September 2023; Vol. 8, No. 2: 7-13

Development and implementation of a community-based suicide prevention program in primary care

Background. Suicide is recognized as a public health issue in Malekan County through a health community assessment. A community-based suicide prevention program was conducted during 2014-2017. Methods. This health system research was conducted in seven steps, including conducting systematic reviews, gathering expert opinions, improving the coverage of suicide attempt records, conducting research to identify regional risk factors, conducting follow ups and managing the individuals attempting suicide, training health gatekeepers, and launching public awareness campaigns. Our goal was to lower the rates of suicide, and suicide attempt by 15% and 20%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression was calculated to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and the 95% confidence intervals. Result. 821 suicide attempts and 32 suicides had been recorded in the county. 70% of the suicides had been committed by men while the majority of attempters were females (64%). Most of the suicides (18cases-56.25%) had occurred in the spring while the majority of suicide attempts (288cases-35.8%) had been recorded in the summer. The common methods (62%) suiciders used were hanging and poisoning, which increased death risk significantly (OR: 8.5, 95% CI: 2.9–76.99). The incidence rates of suicide and suicide attempts reduced from 11.22, and 203 per 100,000 in 2013 to 2.63, and 157 in 2017, respectively. Suicide re-attempts also diminished from 12% in 2013 to 6.7% in 2017. Conclusion. Suicide, SA, and re-attempt were lowered by 75%, 22%, and 42%, respectively. Practical Implications. The practical framework that emerged out of the present study can be used for generating future suicide prevention strategies. Furthermore, our study highlights the need to consider a wide range of contextual factors when developing suicide prevention programs.

A pilot study: Positive behavioral support assessment and intervention for individuals with serious mental illness and criminal justice involvement.

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are consistently interfacing with the criminal justice (CJ) system. They are overrepresented in our nation's prisons and jails rather than being in appropriate treatment settings. They also exhibit behavioral challenges in such CJ settings that result in rule violations leading to punitive consequences, such as segregation and isolation, which have deleterious effects on their mental health and well-being. Individuals with SMI who are incarcerated also make up the majority of suicide attempts and stay longer than those without SMI. Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is a form of assessment and intervention with demonstrated efficacy for mitigating disruptive behaviors in individuals with SMI. This article describes a pilot study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of implementing PBS to decrease behaviors of concern (BOC) by those who experience SMI and interface with the CJ system. Findings indicated that PBS has a positive impact on reducing the frequency and severity of challenging behaviors and consequentially reducing interactions with the CJ system. Implications of this intervention are explored as a mechanism to support recovery and build lives of meaning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The resilience among suicide attempt survivor

Suicide incidents in Gunungkidul, Indonesia have increased from year by year. This phenomenon is of great importance to study to find a proper solution. Based on the data it has been found that people who have committed suicide but have been saved (survived). To date, they have managed to survive and carry out their daily activities well. The majority of suicide attempts are caused by unpleasant experiences in the past. The purpose of this study was to assess the resilience of suicide survivors who can be used to motivate people who intend or who survived suicide to get back up. This research used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological method. The location of this research was in Gunungkidul Regency. The subjects of this study were four people who were obtained by using purposive sampling technique. Several in-depth interviews were carried out to collect the data from the respondent. The results show that the factors supporting the resilience of survivors to suicide were the ability to control emotions and impulses, self-efficacy and optimism, the ability to analyze the causes of problems, empathy, and the ability to achieve what was desired.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

Impulsivity as a risk factor for suicidality in depressed patients

IntroductionSuicide behavior is an important and preventable cause of injury, disability and death in the world, and, at the same time, a major economic and social burden for modern societies. The majority of suicide attempts and completions are associated with psychiatric disorders, especially major depressive episode. Impulsivity has been associated with suicidality in major depressive disorder patients.AimThe current study aims to evaluate impulsivity in major depressive disorder patients with a history of suicide attempts as compared to major depressive disorder patients without a history of suicide attempts.MethodsOne hundred and twelve patients with major depressive disorder, aged 51.91 ± 10.72 (70% females) were included through convenient sampling procedure from the patient population of the 3rd Psychiatry Clinic of the Cluj County Emergency Hospital. Impulsivity was assessed through Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11).ResultsIn total, 27.8% of the patients had a history of suicide attempts. Significant differences between the two groups were obtained only for the Perseverance subscale of the BIS-11. (12.7 ± 1.8 vs. 7.13 ± 2.1, P = 0.005–Mann Whitney U-test).ConclusionsPerseverance might be a discriminating element between patients that eventually commit a suicide attempt and those that do not.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The correlation between mood disorders and suicide attempts for the period 2013–2015 at “Mother Teresa” hospital center, Fatbardha Myslimaj, Psychiatrist, Mirela Gokaj, Deana Rama

BackgroundPeople, who have tried to commit self-injurers or suicidal attempts, refer symptomatic presence of disorders of humor and numerous problems social as factors precipitant to suicidal thoughts and actions. It is important recognition of the signs of suicide and self-inflicting behavior to help prevent suicide.Materials and methodsThe study includes a period of 3 years of cases hospitalized in the psychiatric clinic UHC, since 2013–2015. The data are taken from the records of admissions at the Psychiatric Clinic at the University Hospital Center. Results are grouped and studied issued by mood disorders, sex, age, place of residence and social status.ResultsThe influence of mood disorders is recently estimated very important in causing suicide attempts compared with other mental illnesses, similar values with contemporary literature.ConclusionsThe majority of suicide attempts do not result in death. Many of these efforts are made in a way that makes salvation possible. These efforts are often a cry for help. Suicide is a social phenomenon different cognitive aspect such as ethical, philosophical, legal, psychiatric, etc. Employees of psycho-social care should be informed about this phenomenon and finding the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of suicidal attempts by persons at risk of suicide.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Attempted Suicide and Seriousness of Intent.

This descriptive research was conducted to estimate the method of suicide and suicidal intent among hospitalised suicide attempters at Pakistan Ordinance Factory (POF) Hospital, Wah Cantt, from December 2012 to June 2013. Data were collected from 49 hospitalised suicide attempters through purposive sampling technique by using Suicidal Intent Scale. Majority of suicide attempters (92%) used self-poisoning as the method of suicide regardless of their gender, age, occupation, past medical history, past psychiatric history, and history of suicide and psychiatric illness in their families. Additionally, most of them (43%) reported high level of suicidal intent, while 16 (33%) reported medium suicidal intent and 12 (24%) reported mild suicidal intent. Keeping in view the fact that majority of suicide attempters used self-poisoning as a method and most of them reported high level of suicidal intent, it is important to plan preventive measures.

The Relationship Between Suicide Attempts and Menstrual Cycles in the Emergency Department and the Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics of These Patients

Aim: Suicidal behavior is defined as choosing death in the conflict between life and death. The aim of this study is to investigate the suspected relationship between suicide attempts and menstrual cycles and to evaluate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the non-pregnant female patients of reproductive age who have presented to our hospital after attempting suicide. Materials and Methods: In this study, 102 female patients (aging 16–45 years) of reproductive age with regular menstrual cycles who presented to the emergency department because of suicide attempts were enrolled. The study was designed as prospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive. The patients’ sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory biochemical parameters were recorded. For the purposes of this study, 100 healthy women who fulfilled the criteria formed the control group and underwent the same procedures as the patient group. Results: Among the patients who presented to the hospital after attempting suicide, 64 (62.7%) were in their menstrual period, six (5.9%) were outside their menstrual period during the follicular phase, five (4.9%) were at the mid-cycle peak, and 27 (26.4%) were at the luteal phase, as determined on the basis of the date of their last menstrual period and their blood hormone levels. Conclusion: The majority of suicide attempts by women occurred during their menstrual period when the estradiol and progesterone levels are at their lowest. (JAEM 2015 DOI: 10.5152/jaem.2015.91069)

Suicide attempts in a longitudinal sample of adolescents followed through adulthood: Evidence of escalation.

This study was designed to examine escalation in repeat suicide attempts from adolescence through adulthood, as predicted by sensitization models (and reflected in increasing intent and lethality with repeat attempts, decreasing amount of time between attempts, and decreasing stress to trigger attempts). In a prospective study of 180 adolescents followed through adulthood after a psychiatric hospitalization, suicide attempts, and antecedent life events were repeatedly assessed (M = 12.6 assessments, SD = 5.1) over an average of 13 years 6 months (SD = 4 years 5 months). Multivariate logistic, multiple linear, and negative binomial regression models were used to examine patterns over time. After age 17-18, the majority of suicide attempts were repeat attempts (i.e., made by individuals with prior suicidal behavior). Intent increased both with increasing age, and with number of prior attempts. Medical lethality increased as a function of age but not recurrent attempts. The time between successive suicide attempts decreased as a function of number of attempts. The amount of precipitating life stress was not related to attempts. Adolescents and young adults show evidence of escalation of recurrent suicidal behavior, with increasing suicidal intent and decreasing time between successive attempts. However, evidence that sensitization processes account for this escalation was inconclusive. Effective prevention programs that reduce the likelihood of individuals attempting suicide for the first time (and entering this cycle of escalation), and relapse prevention interventions that interrupt the cycle of escalating suicidal behavior among individuals who already have made attempts are critically needed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Gender differences in characteristics of suicide attempts

Suicide attempt denotes activities directed towards one's own death which do not end in death. The ratio between attempted and realized suicides is expressed by the index called hazard ratio. Risk factors which contribute to suicidal behavior are: various emotional conditions, personality traits, stressful life events, substance misuse etc. The purpose of the study was to explore the frequencies and epidemiological and demographic characteristics of suicide attempts separately in men and women. The study sample involved 56 patients with the diagnosis suicide attempt (Tentamen suicidii) treated on the Psychiatric department of the Clinical Center Pristina, Gracanica. The data have been analyzed in respect to gender, age, profession/employment, mental disorder diagnosis, motivation (reason) and the way of performing a suicide attempt. Results: suicide has been attempted by 42 women (75%) and 14 men (25%) of the sample. The prevalent age group of our sample (26.8%) represents the patients below 20. The most prevalent are also unemployed patients, 33.3% of women and 50% of men. The most prevalent diagnosis is anxiety disorder (61.9% of women and 57.1% of men). The prevailing reason for attempting suicide in women was couple conflict (54.8%) and existential problems in men (50%). Fifty one patients of the sample (91.1%) have attempted suicide by intoxication with sedative drugs (anxiolytics). The majority of suicide attempts happened during afternoon and evening hours, i.e. in the period 12-24h. Conclusion: women have attempted suicide more frequently than men (ratio 3:1). Unemployment has been the prevailing professional characteristic in both genders. The most prevailing diagnosis is anxiety disorder. The chief motive in women is couple conflict and in men existential difficulties. In both genders the most frequent way of attempting suicide is poisoning, mostly in the period 12-24h.

TO WHAT EXTENT CAN ADOLESCENT SUICIDE ATTEMPTS BE ATTRIBUTED TO VIOLENCE EXPOSURE? A POPULATION-BASED STUDY FROM WESTERN CANADA.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents in Canada and globally. The purpose of our study was to calculate what proportion of adolescent suicide attempts could be prevented in the absence of verbal, physical and sexual violence. Using the province-wide 2008 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey (N=29,315) we calculated population-attributable fractions for each type of violence, as well as exposure to any violence, separately by gender, among adolescents age 12-19. We found violence victimization is implicated in the majority of suicide attempts. Focusing on violence prevention may be an important strategy for reducing suicide among young people.

Suicidal behavior in bipolar disorder: Epidemiology, characteristics and major risk factors

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death and a major public health problem worldwide, and the majority of suicide attempters and completers suffer from some major affective disorder at the time of their death, which, in the majority of cases is unrecognized, under- or misdiagnosed and untreated. Based on a systematic literature search, the authors give a detailed and critical overview of established risk factors of suicide in bipolar disorder. Among affective disorders, bipolar disorder carries the highest risk of suicide, yet not all bipolar patients commit or even attempt suicide during their illness. While the general suicide risk factors also apply for bipolar disorders, there are several disease-specific risk factors as well which should be taken into account when evaluating suicide risk in case of patients. It is crucial to identify suicide risk factors in bipolar disorder to be able to differentiate those patients within this already increased-risk illness group who are at especially high risk and therefore to allow for better prediction and prevention of suicidal acts.

Gender distribution of suicide attempts among immigrant groups in European countries--an international perspective

Studies report high rates of suicide attempts for female immigrants. This study assesses variations in the distribution of suicide attempts across gender in immigrant and non-immigrant groups in Europe. Data on 64 native and immigrant groups, including 17,662 local and 3755 immigrant person-cases collected, between 1989 and 2003, in 24 million person-years were derived from the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour. Female-to-male ratios of suicide attempt rates (SARs) were calculated for all groups. The cases were combined into four major categories: hosts; European and other Western immigrants; non-European immigrants; and Russian immigrants. The non-European immigrants included higher female SARs than the Europeans, both hosts and immigrants. Unlike the other groups, the majority of suicide attempters among the Russian immigrants in Estonia and Estonian hosts were male. This was also true for immigrants from Curaçao, Iran, Libya and Sri Lanka. When the single groups with a male majority were excluded, the correlation between female and male SARs was relatively high among the European immigrants (r = 0.74, P < 0.0005) and lower among the non-European immigrants (r = 0.55, P < 0.03). Generalized estimating equation analysis yielded a highly significant difference (P < 0.0005) in gender ratios of suicide attempts between hosts (ratio 1.52) and both non-European immigrants (ratio 2.32) and Russian immigrants (0.68), but not the European immigrants. The higher suicide attempt rates in non-European immigrant females compared with males may be indicative of difficulties in the acculturation processes in Europe. Further understanding of factors underlying suicidal behaviour in immigrant and minority groups is necessary for planning effective prevention strategies.

Characteristics of Suicidal Behavior in a Turkish Sample

Suicidal behavior is one of the most important problems in psychiatric clinics. Several sociodemographic and clinical characteristics may have different effects on suicidal behavior. To examine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of a sample of 144 suicide attempters admitted to a Turkish emergency clinic for a suicide attempt. All subjects were interviewed by a consultant psychiatrist. For all individuals, data on DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses, sociodemographic data, Beck's Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Becks's Suicidal Ideation Scale (SIS), and Beck's Suicidal Intention Scale (BSIS) were collected. The majority of suicide attempters were females characterized by low educational status and low religious orientation. Drug overdose was the most common method of suicide attempt and conflict within the family was the most frequent psychological stress factor. Three-quarters of attempters (74.6%) met DSM-IV criteria for at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Of these, 28.5% met criteria for major depressive disorder. Suicide attempters with depression tended to be immigrant, urban dwellers with high scores on the suicide intent scale. In the present study, the findings are useful in showing the risk factors related to suicidal behavior.

Suicidal attempters and non-attempters with bipolar disorder in Iran

This is the study of the prevalence of suicidal attempt and its demographic association in bipolar disorder (BPD) subjects in an emergency department in a non-Western culture. The subjects were 176 adults with DSM-IV BPD-type I (BPD-I). The mean age was 30.2 years and 66.2% of them were male. About 33.9% of the subjects made a suicidal attempt at least once in their life. The majority of suicide attempters (69.8%) had only one suicidal attempt. Lifetime suicidal attempts were not associated with age, gender, level of education, residential area, and type of occupation. The rate of suicidal attempt in the bipolar patients is very high and it is very similar to the rates reported in other cultures. It seems that the association of suicidal attempt in BPD is less related to the culture than the disorder itself.

Behind impulsive suicide attempts: Indications from a community study

Aim A considerable proportion of suicide attempts are made on impulse. However, knowledge of characteristics of impulsive attempters is still limited. The present study investigated some of these characteristics and aimed to identify the pattern (if any) of suicidal ideation before an impulsive attempt. Methods Data from a randomized and stratified population of 5130 individuals from Brisbane, Australia, were analysed. Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were adopted to recruit subjects. Those reporting previous suicidal behaviour were sent a questionnaire by mail. Results One hundred and twelve subjects reported a suicide attempt. One quarter of these described a pattern consistent with an impulsive attempt. Most impulsive attempters experienced suicidal thoughts before their attempt. They were less likely to believe that their attempt would cause death, and less likely to experience depression. Impulsive attempters did not differ significantly from non-impulsive attempters in regards to age, gender, and motivations for the attempt. Surprisingly, no differences in mean scores of trait impulsivity between impulsive and non-impulsive attempters were found. In addition, the majority of suicide attempters (whether impulsive or not) experienced the suicidal process as fluctuating and not as developing along a continuum. Limitations The number of attempters who validly entered the study limited our ability to identify potential confounders. Due to the retrospective nature of the survey, the reliability of the information collected may have been affected by recall biases. In addition, as the surveys were administered by mail, it is possible that some questions may have been misinterpreted. Conclusions The presence of suicidal feelings prior to an attempt constitutes an opportunity for intervention also in impulsive attempters. However, the identification of impulsiveness requires more research efforts.

Suicide by Burning in Korea

Of 2,143 admissions following suicide attempts over a seven year period (1980-1986) in Seoul, Korea, there were 38 cases (1.8%) of suicide by burning. These cases were matched by age and sex with a control group of suicide attempts in general and were investigated for psychosocial differences from other suicide attempters. No significant differences were found in social factors such as education, religion, marital status, seasonal change and occupation. The majority of suicide attempts by burning were in a public place (73.7%) and were eventually fatal despite intensive medical treatment (78.9%). Half (52.7%) suffered from significant mental disorders and marital disharmony.